Garden overgrown

[kanrent]

Hi the garden in one of my rental properties is badly overgrown and apparently has foxes living in it, the tenant is not at all bothered by this but the neibours are kicking up a fuss probably due to a 30 year grievance which happened is the past. Can the neighbours force me to have the garden cleared and maintained? 

[Melboy]

Not that I am aware of.  The only time a council may take action is when the garden or property is rat infested and neighbours complain but even then the council will sometimes put that responsibility onto the property owner.

Where my Brother in Law lives in outer London there is a major urban fox problem but the council are not interested in dealing with it.

[Richlist]

Presumably you have something in your Tenancy Agreement about keeping the garden maintained/ looking after the whole of the property in a tenant like manner etc ? You could try reminding the tenant of their obligation in this respect and point out that when they vacate any cost of tidying up said garden will be deducted from their deposit.

What I find is that sometimes landlords let property with gardens but don't supply any equipment to ensure the tenant can maintain it. Tenants are usually quite reluctant to go buy a lawnmower to maintain a garden they aren't interested in.  Did you provide a lawnmower ?

[Carryon Regardless]

Any electrical equipment needs to be PAT tested, more responsibility.

My view is that the t's should maintain such, if they don't after written warning send in a contractor and charge 'em.

The issue with ignoring is the cost may be greater than any deposit. Then the garden may be off putting to prospective T's.

 

[kanrent]

I forgot to mention the overgrown area is fenced off from the rest of the garden so it's my responsibility the tenant is not bothered about it but the interfering neibours are kicking up a fuss not sure if the council will force me to clear it as I'm sure they will report it to the council

[Richlist]

When you say cleared, I assume you mean tidied up i.e. long grass cut as opposed to cleared of rubbish, debris and dumped items.

If it's just long grass and generally overgrown, I don't believe there is any way you can be forced to cut it. Tell the neighbours you have decided to turn the area into a wildlife haven and they will just have to accept it. 

By way of example......the property next to me has a 200ft back garden and there are 2 pensioners living there with one of them seriously disabled. Their family visits regularly and mows & strims the garden for them. But they have given up on the bottom 80 ft and have left that to rewild. We just ask them to mow along the border fence so that we don't get any growth into our garden. It works fine.......I've even offered to buy the bottom of their garden off them (negotiations ongoing).

I think provided you consider the neighbours issues and work towards a compromise you should be able to arrive at an acceptable solution. Try to understand exactly what their issues are and offer a solution that doesn't involve cutting the whole area back.

 

 

 

[Richlist]

5 hours ago, Carryon Regardless said:

Any electrical equipment needs to be PAT tested, more responsibility..

 

I wasn't aware of that. 

Does a brand new one need a Patsy test ?

A new electric mower isn't a lot of money.

[Carryon Regardless]

Any new equipment is ok for 12 months, so keeping the receipt should satisfy that one.

Considering properties will have RCCB protection now it raises the question of the need for a PAT test. But I suppose the dog might have chewed the cable and left a live conductor exposed.

Ting is, I don't supply toilet paper but I still expect T's to wipe their own ass when needed.

[Grampa]

So you supply a lawnmower and the tenant chops a finger or toe off, you potentially could be leaving yourself open for an insurance claim regardless whether you gave instructions or not. Unlikely I acknowledge, but the risk is still there none the less and I think we would all agree the odds of tenants making a claim rises every year. It is so important for landlords to have their own liability insurance in place now even if the property is leasehold and there is block insurance arranged by the freeholder.

 

[Grampa]

7 hours ago, Carryon Regardless said:

Any electrical equipment needs to be PAT tested, more responsibility.

 

 

Unless there has been a change in the law there is no legal requirement to PAT test in residential however, all appliances must be “safe” on supply but if the property is an HMO I think there is.

[Carryon Regardless]

I sit corrected Grampa.

I thought it became a legal requirement some years ago. Me confused again.

[ainesbaptisе]

It depends on what obligations you have in the tenancy agreement. If it says you have to take care of the garden, then you do. But about the neighbors, I am not sure at all probably if the garden is infected with something like rats or another pest that might harm the neighbors’ houses and gardens. But about the neighbors, I am not sure at all probably if the garden is infected with something like rats or another pest that might harm the neighbors’ houses and gardens.  But it should be fine if the garden is more or less clean and just not maintained. You can ask your question on https://www.finehomegardening.com/article/citronella-plant-1653911160296 because it’s a gardening website. They probably know more about the laws for such cases. Also, you must keep the garden clean of garbage and anything else that smells.

[Richlist]

Long grass encourages all sorts of wild life including foxes. Cutting grass shorter does not guarantee there will be no foxes. I have an immaculately maintained garden with a well cut 200 foot lawn.......we have visits by foxes, rats, snakes, pigeons, deer and even seagulls. So, cutting the grass won't stop the foxes.

Find out what the issue is for the neighbours.......then decide if those issues can be addressed.

Good luck.

[Grampa]

I get a fox every night I see on my cctv walking across my concrete drive. 

[Richlist]

Well as an Agent I do hope you are charging it the appropriate fee for using your drive. 😅

[Carryon Regardless]

42 minutes ago, Richlist said:

Well as an Agent I do hope you are charging it the appropriate fee for using your drive. 😅

RL you're assuming it's minted, but that was the polar bear.